Early eosinophilia induced in guinea pigs by intrapulmonary injection of antigenic determinants and antigens

Abstract

Injections of antigens directly into the lungs of guinea pigs induced marked eosinophilia at the sites of injection within 72 hours. In contrast to generalized anaphylaxis, there was, at that time, no correlation between the eosinophilia in the lungs and the titer of circulating eosinophils, which remains stable. Antigen-induced eosinophilia was limited to the injected lung; no eosinophilia developed in the noninjected lung which served as a control. Neither homologous protein nor extract of ragweed pollen in aqueous solution or in Freund's adjuvant produced eosinophilia in the injected lung. Injection of arsanilic acid did not cause an increase in eosiniphils, but injection of arsanilic acid diazotized to homologous protein was followed by a marked increase in peribronchial eosinophils. p-Phenylene diamine, on the other hand, injected without conjugation in aqueous solution, produced a massive pulmonary eosinophilia.